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"Zhe Bellevue." 



issued by 

.Marshall Whjthed, 



HOST. 



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t "XTbe Eellevue." 




F all the charmingly located spots on the New Jersey coast 

there are none in which are combined so many attractions 

as at " The Bellevue," being situated near Bellevue 

Station, on the line of the New Jersey Southern Division 

of the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad, midway between 

ndy Hook and Long Branch, opposite the junction of the 

Shrewsbury and Neversink Rivers, and in full view of the ocean 




and Highlands. The site of the hotel was the place selected by Alder- 
man Van B eve rout (the wealthy burgher of Manhattan 150 years ago) for 
his " villa" called "Lust in Rust," and so vividly described by Cooper 
in his interesting tale entitled "Water Witch," — for a further and more 
elaborate description of which the reader is referred to the above-men- 
tioned narrative. A sagacious New Yorker, with ever "an eye on the 
main chance," whether business or pleasure, nearly one hundred years 



AT "THE BELLEVUE." 



ago, selected the very spot where "The Bellevue " stands as a desirable- 
place for a summer resort, and erected l hereon a large hotel called the 
"Ocean House," which became widely known and justly celebrated as 
an hostelry where the tired merchant and overtaxed professional man 
could find pleasure and relaxation. Here he could indulge, with oar or 
sail, on the ever-placid waters of the Shrewsbury or Neversink, or, with 
gun in hand, roam at will over hill and dale, and bring to 




his feet the deer and the eagle, for both are indigenous of the Highland 
forests. The Ocean House was burned in 1858. In 1878, Mr. Lemuel 
Smith, a resident of the Highlands and formerly a New York merchant, 
erected the present elegant hotel, to which he gave the name " Bellevue,'' 
on account of its magnificent surroundings. Mr. Smith, being a gentle- 
man of ample means and cultivated taste, expended one hundred thou- 
sand dollars in building and furnishing this hotel and otherwise 
improving the grounds about it. This is a large sum considering the 
size of the building, which will accommodate about two hundred guests. 



AT " THE BEI.LEVUE." 



No expense has been spared in making it strictly first-class. The sanitary 
arrangements, although originally furnished by a competent engineer, 
have been recently overhauled, and, regardless of expense, perfected with 
all the skill known to modern plumbing. The drainage of the hotel is 
into the current of the 
river, where the tides 
ebb and flow, thus tak- 
ing to the ocean all 
the debris which might 
otherwise accumulate. 
The house has a dou- 
ble front — one on the 
west facing the river, 
the other on the east 
facing the ocean. 
Ample verandas being 
on both sides, visitors 
are sure of a shady 
porch and a charming 
view all day long. So 
admirable is the posi- 
tion of the hotel, and 
so beautiful are the 
views, that one can 
scarcely tire of the 
scene. The sight from 
the river on the west 
piazza is sublimely 
grand, and reminds one 
who has traveled in 

Europe of a "view on the Rhine." The expansive " Neversink " winds 
its way from Red Bank to the sea, past the lively villages of Fair Haven 
and Oceanic and the cultivated fields of Shrewsbury, while directly 
opposite the house loom up like mountains the world-renowned " High- 
lands." Standing on the same portico, and on a plane with it, looking 
to the left, is " Rumsen," which a few years ago was an uncultivated 





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AT " THE BELLEVUE. 7 

tract, but is now dotted with some of the finest residences and extensive 
lawns to be seen near New York. Standing upon the east portico you 
observe the grand old restless ocean, bearing upon its bosom countless 
craft, both steam and sail. On a clear day you can easily discern 
the huge transatlantic steamers which regularly leave our shores for 
the Eastern Hemisphere. Looking toward the north, and near at hand, 
is " Highland Light" — a most welcome sight to any visitor approaching 
our shores — also Coney Island, with its myriad lights illuminating the 







ISST" 



heavens. Looking south are to be seen the beautiful cottage settle- 
ments of Seabright and Monmouth Beach. The drives in the vicinity 
are particularly charming. The hotel has all the appointments and sur- 
roundings that are certain to gratify the taste and insure the comfort of 
its guests. Being situated between river and ocean, there is a con- 
tinual breeze which is always cool and refreshing. There is hardly a 
moment that there is not a strong current of air passing through its 



8 



AT "THE BELLEVUE. 



broad corridors. The wind which comes from the land is generally 
warm in summer, but it is not so here, being chilled by the cool and 
constantly changing waters of the Shrewsbury and Neversink. On 
account of this favorable situation, the atmosphere is many degrees 

cooler when the wind is westerly than at 







other places on the coast. Mos- 
quitos and other pests are unknown 
in the steeping apartments of this 
house. While nature has done so 
much to make this hotel cool 
in hot weather, art has been 
equally lavish in securing com- 
fort during the period of East- 
ern storms. The corridors 
and dining-room are heated by 
steam, while the parlors and 
larger sleeping apartments 
are furnished with 



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U- ample fire-places, in 
which can be burned 
either coal or wood. 
gsg; Discomfort from the 

weather can never 
be experienced here. 
The internal ap- 
pointments of this 
hotel are fully equal 
to the demands of 
^* { the times, and are 

adapted to satisfy 
those who are accustomed to luxurious homes. The sleeping apart- 
ments are large and comfortably furnished ; no expense has been spared 
in securing luxurious beds. The ceilings of all the rooms are high and 
have perfect ventilation throughout. The dining-hall is delightfully 
cool in summer, and the ample parlors offer full scope to the many peo- 
ple who nightly gather there. Electric bells are placed in every room. 






AT 



THE BELLEVUE. 



Speaking-tubes and running water are on every floor. The water is 
furnished by the Long Branch Water Co., and is of the purest and most 
wholesome quality. It is sufficient to say that the cuisine of this hotel 
will maintain its past high standard. The services of the staff of former 
seasons will be retained. Select amusements and entertainments will be 
arranged during the season and music of a superior character pro- 
vided. Complete stabling accommodations and a fine livery are near 
at hand and under the control of the hotel. A fine billiard-hall and 



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boAiing-alley are within the grounds. The bathing facilities, both surf 
and still water, are unsurpassed, and are under the direction of careful 
and experienced bathing masters, who will be ever ready to assist the 
weak and encourage the timid in the enjoyment of this health-giving 
amusement. Telephone and telegraph offices are in the hotel. Boats 
are furnished to those who wish to indulge in a " pull " on the river. 
For the information of those who desire sea-food, the fish which sup- 
plies the hotel are caught on the Banks but a few miles distant, and 
brought fresh to the house every morning. The crabs and shell-fish are 
procured in the river but a short distance away. 



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AT " THE BELLEVUE.*' 



lh ovv to get to "TLbe 36eUe\me/ 



♦fg ESIDES being one of the most attractive places on the coast, the 

trip to and from Bellevue is a delightful excursion. On a sultry 

afternoon in July or August, perplexed and wearied with the cares 

of business, you leave your count- 
ing-room or office for Pier 8 North 
River, whence you go on board 
one of the palatial steamers which 
leave hourly for Sandy Hook and 
the Highland shore. Passing out 
of the North River through the 
Narrows and into the broad bay 
and ocean, you are soon landed at 
the Hook. Immediately getting 
on board the cars in waiting, you 
are whirled through pine forests, 
which seem to be emitting their 
resinous perfumes in your behalf. 
In a few moments a wonderful 
panorama awaits your vision — the 
magnificent Highlands, the placid 
Shrewsbury dotted with pleasure 
craft, the elegant homes which 
adorn its shores, the irresistible 
ocean — all break upon you simul- 
taneously, yet before you can fully 
realize the entrancing scene, the 
conductor announces "Bellevue." 
Here you are — refreshed by the sail, invigorated by the bracing atmos- 
phere, ready to enjoy its many attractions. The trip can be accom- 
plished in a little more than one hour each way. 








Rooms can be engaged for 
the coming season, and further 
information obtained, by ad- 
dressing the Proprietor, 

MARSHALL WHITHED 



XTbe JSellevue," 

NEAR SEABRIGHT, 

N. J. 



t'w v ,„ 



014 205 142 4 



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